Singapore says it must be able to say ‘no’ to US, China to preserve trust

Singapore occupies a “peculiarly sensitive existential point” as it seeks to retain strategic options amid a great power rivalry, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said, doubling down on the city state’s stance of refusing to take sides. He also warned that the global landscape would remain unsettled if China and the United States failed to address their respective domestic issues. Speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2026 in Singapore on Wednesday, Balakrishnan identified...